Auto-configurable vehicle-user interface

Abstract

A system and method of automatically configuring a vehicle-user interface, the vehicle-user interface being installed on a vehicle, and the method including: displaying a graphical menu on the vehicle-user interface according to a first menu configuration; receiving a menu input from a user of the vehicle; storing menu usage data in memory of the vehicle, the menu usage data representing how often and/or how many times a particular menu item of the graphical menu is selected; generating second menu configuration data based on the menu usage data, the second menu configuration data representing a second menu configuration; and configuring the vehicle user interface to display the graphical menu according to the second menu configuration.

1 . A method of automatically configuring a vehicle-user interface, the vehicle-user interface being installed on a vehicle, and the method comprising:
 displaying a graphical menu on the vehicle-user interface according to a first menu configuration;   receiving a menu input from a user of the vehicle;   storing menu usage data in memory of the vehicle, the menu usage data representing how often and/or how many times a particular menu item of the graphical menu is selected;   generating second menu configuration data based on the menu usage data, the second menu configuration data representing a second menu configuration; and   configuring the vehicle user interface to display the graphical menu according to the second menu configuration.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first menu configuration is represented by first menu configuration data that is stored in the memory of the vehicle as a part of an initial configuration process for the vehicle, the initial configuration process being a manufacturing process of the vehicle or an initial vehicle configuration performed at a dealership. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first menu configuration is a default menu configuration that is based on one or more user factors, the user factors corresponding to the user of the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first menu configuration is a default menu configuration that is based on collective menu usage data, the collective menu usage data being generated at a remote facility based on aggregating a plurality of menu usage data from a plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first menu configuration is represented by first menu configuration data that includes a first menu configuration data manifest, and wherein the first menu configuration data manifest specifies a hierarchy of menus and sub-menus to be displayed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-user interface is a touch-screen display that is installed as a part of a center console of the vehicle, and wherein the menu input is received via detecting a touch by the user on the touch-screen display. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the displaying step is carried out in response to detecting a vehicle menu initiation event, the vehicle menu initiation event being a vehicle event that indicates that the menu should be presented. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle menu initiation event is a change in state of the vehicle from a powered off state to a powered on state. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle menu initiation event is a detection that a user has selected a home button, the home button being presented independently of a particular menu configuration being used. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of detecting whether the menu input corresponds to a selection of a vehicle function or a selection of a sub-menu, and only updating the menu usage data in response to detecting that the menu input corresponds to a selection of a vehicle function. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second menu configuration data is first menu configuration data that is modified based on the received menu input. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first menu configuration is a dynamically-generated menu configuration that is generated as a result of a previous iteration of the method. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the generating step includes: identifying one or more menu items or corresponding vehicle functions that are most selected or most used, and then updating the first menu configuration based on the identified menu items to obtain the second menu configuration. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the identifying step includes receiving information from an external device, the information representing usage data concerning a vehicle function that is associated with a menu item of the graphical menu, and wherein the external device is a device that is external from the vehicle such that the external device is separate from vehicle electronics of the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . A method of automatically configuring a vehicle-user interface, the vehicle-user interface being installed on a first vehicle, wherein the method is carried out by one or more remote servers, and wherein the method comprises:
 receiving a plurality of menu usage data from a plurality of vehicles, the menu usage data being collected at each of the plurality of vehicles based on detection of a user selecting one or more menu inputs at vehicle electronics;   aggregating the plurality of menu usage data based on one or more user factors and/or one or more vehicle factors;   obtaining collective menu usage data corresponding to a target group, wherein the target group is identified based on at least one of the one or more user factors and/or at least one of the one or more vehicle factors, and wherein the collective menu usage data is obtained based on the aggregated menu usage data that corresponds to the at least one user factor and/or the at least one vehicle factor;   determining whether the first vehicle is a part of the target group based on the at least one user factor and/or the at least one vehicle factor; and   when it is determined that the first vehicle is a part of the target group, sending the collective menu usage data or first menu configuration data to the first vehicle, wherein the first vehicle is configured to:
 store the collective menu usage data or the first menu configuration data in memory of vehicle electronics of the first vehicle, the first menu configuration data being representative of a first menu configuration, and the collective menu usage data being used to generate the first menu configuration data; and 
 configure the first vehicle such that a graphical menu according to the first menu configuration is displayed in response to a vehicle menu initiation event. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining step employs data mining techniques to identify menu items that are to be included in the first menu configuration as a main or initial menu. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more remote servers are located at a backend vehicle services facility that provides backend vehicle services to the first vehicle, and wherein each of the plurality of menu usage data is received over a wireless carrier system from each of the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first vehicle is a vehicle other than those of the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the sending step is carried out in response to receiving a message indicating that the first vehicle is to be initially configured, the first menu configuration representing a default menu configuration that is stored in memory of the first vehicle as a part of an initial configuration process. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first vehicle is one of the plurality of vehicles, and wherein the remote server initiates a connection with the first vehicle, the connection being used to send the collective menu usage data or the first menu configuration data to the first vehicle.